Hadassah to the Rescue for Toothless Children
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The children suffer from ectodermal dysplasia,
a rare genetic disease
For the first time in Israel, two toothless children, ages five and six, were given the ability to talk, chew solid food, and smile again, thanks to dental implants they received from multidisciplinary health professionals at the Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Dental Medicine.
The treatment, a joint effort of the Pediatric Dentistry Department, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and the Center for Maxillofacial Rehabilitation, is available in very few medical centers around the world. The children suffer from ectodermal dysplasia, a rare genetic disease (with an incidence of 7 per 10,000 births), which affects the tissue that originates in the top skin layer–the ectoderm. The condition is characterized by a lack of nails, teeth, and sweat glands, as well as thin hair.
Traditionally, the accepted medical practice has been to wait until the child is grown and his tissues and bones are more stable before inserting implants. Because this disease, however, causes so many physiological and psychological challenges —making it difficult for the child to speak optimally, chew effectively, and fit in with his peers—the experts felt it was urgent to intervene earlier.
After the children had a thorough clinical check-up, a radiographic evaluation to determine location and size for the implants, and a meeting with Prof. Joseph Shapira, head of the Pediatric Dental Department, regarding the procedure, Prof. Rephael Zeltser, head of the Department of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery, fitted the implants and inserted them into the children’s jaws. After the implants had a chance to settle in and the children had gotten used to them, the implant-supporting dentures were fitted by Dr. Eyal Terzi, Director of the Maxillofacial Rehabilitation Center.
While the adjustment period requires continuous work and patience to achieve the desired aesthetic and functional results, the children’s substantial improvements in appearance, responsiveness to eating, and social interaction made it clear that the rehabilitative process was a huge success.
For more than 100 years, Hadassah (www.hadassah-med.com) has been a leader in medicine and nursing in Israel, laying the foundation and setting the standards for the country’s modern health care system. The majority of medical breakthroughs in Israel have taken place there. With more than 130 departments and clinics, Hadassah-Ein Kerem provides Israel’s most advanced diagnostic and therapeutic services for the local and national population and a significant number of international patients.
iMER (www.imer.biz) is the international patients office of the Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem. iMER, with offices in Cyprus, Austria, Germany, Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Georgia, in cooperation with Hadassah, offers patients assessment services, the preparation of a medical plan and referral to the appropriate Hadassah units.
